Snow Storm
by jmss7
Summary: The Gages had been having a rough time emotionally since they lost their baby, so Captain Stanley suggested that they should get out of the city for a few days and go somewhere relaxing. Between Ch 8 & 9 of "Jane".
1. Chapter 1

Snow Storm

Time frame: Between Ch 8 and 9 of Jane. The Gages had been having a rough time emotionally since they lost their baby, and it was Captain Stanley who took Johnny aside and suggested that he and his wife Jane should get out of the city for a few days and go somewhere relaxing.

* * *

><p>"So where are you and Jane off to, Johnny?" asked Marco as they were getting changed in the locker room. The other men of A shift were also in the room, getting ready to head back to their other lives.<p>

"We're heading north to the mountains – Jane used to ski when she was younger, and she hasn't for a few years, so we're going to the Lake Tahoe area – there's a cabin on one of the smaller lakes her father's friend's lending us."

"Sounds like a good time," commented Mike.

"Yep, should be."

"You ever ski before?"asked Chet.

Johnny shrugged. "I tried it, but I prefer horseback riding when I've got the time."

"Well, I hope you don't fall and break something!" said Marco.

"Yeah, John, maybe you should take out some extra insurance!" goaded Chet.

"Ha, ha. Very funny. I'm not uncoordinated!"

Marco stifled a snort of laughter, and Chet hit him on his back. "Better let that laugh out, Marco, or you'll hurt yourself!"

Johnny banged his locker door closed. "Well, I'll be having the last laugh when I'm schussing down the slopes, thinking of you guys stuck here in the stuffy city."

"Schussing?" asked Roy with a grin.

Johnny looked unsure and bent in towards Roy to ask quietly, "Isn't that the word?"

Roy chuckled at his partner and shrugged his shoulders. "Y'know, it'll be good for you and Jane to get away, no matter where you go. This is your first real time together since…"

Johnny picked up his bag and stopped his partner from finishing his sentence. "Yeah, it'll be great." Roy sighed. Johnny still didn't accept references to the death of his son.

* * *

><p>Jane and Johnny drove up the highway in companionable silence. The further away from Los Angeles they got, the taller the trees, the greener the vegetation…Jane turned to Johnny and smiled. This was just what they needed.<p>

The region with the cabin averaged about 5 feet of snow per winter. Johnny looked sceptical as they climbed higher into the mountains and he saw the snow banks on either side of the road, but Jane's smile grew. This is what she remembered from her childhood.

As they unpacked the Land Rover at the cabin, snow started to fall softly, and Jane stood beside the car with her eyes closed and her face upturned. Johnny shook his head at her. "It's just snow, Jane."

She opened her eyes. "No, it is so much more than that. Look around you. Everything is blanketed in white, pristine, pure, soft…"

He started to grin. "Okay, I get it. I get it. You love snow." She picked up a bag and followed him into the cabin, kicking her feet against the door frame before she entered to get the snow off her boots. Johnny looked down at the trail of snow he had inadvertently tracked into the room. "Uh..."

"You'll get used to it." She put down her bag, and pulled off her boots. There was a field stone fireplace in the far wall, with a stack of wood and old newspapers beside it. The fold out couch had an ancient red woollen blanket thrown over it. A painted picture of a trout hung on the wooden wall. Two oil lanterns stood on either end of the fireplace mantel.

Johnny bent down to start the fire going, as the room was very chilly, and Jane put the cooler with food on the counter, and started unloading milk and eggs into the ancient fridge. "It's nice this place has electricity," said Johnny as he turned from his now merrily burning fire, after placing the screen in front of it.

"It also has that wonderful invention, a flush toilet!" replied Jane.

Johnny peeked into the washroom and saw the claw-foot tub, pull-chain toilet, and pedestal sink. "So it does. Look at that."

Jane could tell that he was teasing her, and shook her finger at him. "Most of the cabins around here only have outhouses and you have to tote your water in buckets from the lake, so you'd better be grateful." She nodded out the window to where the lake could be seen peeking through the screen of fir trees. "When Uncle Murray built this place just after the war, he made sure that there was a pump and a cistern, and that they were hooked up to the electric grid."

Johnny came over to her and gave her a hug. "He did great. And this is a great place. I can't wait to enjoy it." He began kissing her neck and she closed her eyes and smiled…

* * *

><p>Later on, Jane started fixing an early supper. She looked out the window and called to Johnny. "You'd better come look at this, John! I can't even see the Rover!" Sure enough, although the vehicle had been parked only feet from the cabin, it was difficult to see where it was supposed to be – the whole world was a mass of swirling white.<p>

Johnny pursed his lips, and looked over at the fireplace. "I'd better get some wood in now, before I can't get to the woodpile." Jane nodded, and made him put on a hat, pulling it down over his dark curls. He told her, "I'll make a few trips and leave the logs on the porch. You bring them in, okay?"

He made several trips to the woodpile, and Jane banged the snow off the logs and set them near the fireplace to dry. Soon a steaming pile of wood took up the corner of the room. When Johnny came back in with his last load, Jane helped him stack the logs and then take off his coat, gloves and hat. His hair that hadn't been covered by the hat was white with snow and his nose was pink. Jane brushed the snow out of his hair, and 'Eskimo' kissed his nose. A kettle with hot water stood on the side of the fireplace. Jane poured him a cup of hot cocoa and sat down beside him on the ancient couch.

"You love this, do you?" Johnny grumbled and Jane snuggled into his shoulder.

"I really do."

He looked down at her. "Ya know what's funny? While I was out there just before, in a weird way it reminded me of being in a fire – unable to see, wind howling, trusting on my instinct to get me back." Jane looked up at him questioningly, with an indulgent half-smile. He sipped his cocoa, and added in an offhand manner, "'Course, the cold didn't feel the same. But it prob'ly could kill you just as dead."

Jane frowned. "You're cheerful! Here you are, in front of a warm fireplace, with a hot drink in your hand, and a loving wife by your side, and you're talking about dying!"

Johnny kissed her forehead and apologized. He closed his eyes and leaned back onto the couch. "It'll be a great little vacation."

Jane cleaned up the dishes after their meal, and noticed that the water pressure was getting low, so she filled up all the containers she could find, and ran water into the tub just in case. She also saw that the electricity was starting to flicker. "Do we have any flashlights?" she asked Johnny.

"Yeah, we have a good lantern type over there."

"I'll check for candles and get them out on the table, just in case."

The electricity suddenly fizzled and snapped, and the wires outside the cabin fell against the window as a branch, laden with snow, cracked under the weight and hit the utility pole attached to the cabin roof. The fridge suddenly stopped and the water pump died. Johnny checked inside to make sure there were no sparks that could start a fire and that the electricity was really out. Jane made sure that the flashlights worked, and set up a couple of candles. "Are we having fun yet?" Johnny sighed as he headed out into the storm yet again.

The room grew colder without the electricity from the lights, fridge, and electric heater. Jane got out some aluminum foil and started cutting up vegetables and making meatballs. "Foil dinners in the fireplace – now we're camping!" she said to Johnny as he came to the door. "How is it out there?"

"Besides cold? And windy? Did I mention the cold? I'm a human popsicle!"

"You are not going to freeze. If you want, I'll go and finish the job," she taunted with a smile.

He shook the snow off his hat and onto her face deliberately in retaliation and she laughed as she wiped the snow off. "Nah, I'm the qualified martyr 'round here. 'Sides, I like that you are planning food for the next while, and I know a great cure for hypothermia. Wanna try it?" He leaned towards her with his lips puckered, but Jane just kissed his nose and pushed him back out the door. She could hear him scraping the shovel against the porch as he tried to clear a path for himself, but the snow kept blowing right back into his cleared areas. "ARGH!" she heard him exclaim through the door.

Jane started searching for a battery-operated radio. She found one in a drawer with fishing gear. The batteries worked, although she didn't know for how long, so she found a station that was fairly clear and turned it off. She looked at her watch. When the news came on, she would listen for the weather report.

Johnny kicked the door frame with his boots as he came in, his inspection and securing of the wires completed to his satisfaction. Jane helped him off with his coat and boots, and placed them in front of the fire screen. He settled himself down in the saggy armchair near the fire. "So, here we are, cut off from all civilization, no electricity, no phone, nothing. Trapped in a blinding snowstorm. Who knows if we will ever get out of here?"

"John Gage, you are so hilarious. As if I didn't know that you go fishing for a week at a time in the bush whenever you can! And that you face all kinds of hazards all the time at work without a second thought!"

He grinned. "Well, I don't think we're going to get much skiing done."

She began to rub his shoulders. "Do you seriously mind?"

He closed his eyes. "Nah. Save me a broken leg, with my luck."

Jane took the foil dinners out of the fireplace and stuck them in a tin canister with a tight fitting lid, and jammed them into the snow just outside the door. She didn't want to use the refrigerator to cool the meals, because the heat would take away from the items all ready in there; this way the milk and other items would stay colder longer. When they wanted to eat them, all they would need to do is put the dinners back in the fire for about half an hour to reheat.

Johnny called to Jane, and she found him in the 'bedroom' leafing through a stack of ancient National Geographic magazines. "These are from the 1930's!" he exclaimed. "Can you believe it?"

Jane said, "Sure. Uncle Murray probably collected them, and this is a great place to store them." He nodded distractedly. "Looking for photos of native girls?" she teased. He raised his eyebrows at her, grinned mischievously, then deliberately whistled and turned the page sideways. She grabbed him and started wrestling him for the magazine, and they ended up falling over each other onto the floor, laughing like little kids.

It was getting dark enough that Jane lit a couple of the candles. She put on an extra sweater and a couple of pairs of socks. Johnny grabbed another blanket from the chest of drawers and wrapped it around his wife's shoulders. He put on a thick sweater too and picked up a deck of cards. "Texas hold 'em?" he asked Jane as he began to shuffle them.

She shook her head. "Rummy. Definitely no Poker tonight!"

"Okay…but I'm warning you, I am the Rummy King too."

"Before we start our game, what about sleeping arrangements?"

"What do you mean?" he asked a little worriedly, as if his tease about winning meant they would end up in different rooms!

"What if we took the mattress off the bed and put it in front of the fire?"

"Yeah, we could do that."

"And I was thinking that I might use that small pot as a bed-warmer – you know, fill it with some coals from the fire…but what could we wrap it in so that it wouldn't damage the sheets and blankets?"

"Hmmm. Let me think on that." He looked around the room. "That old wool blanket should be fine," and he went over to grab it off the couch.

Jane took it from him and commented, "It's getting quite drafty over by the door and that window, John."

"Okay, let's take some nails and use up the blankets that we don't think we'll need to cover them."

"Don't we have to worry about not getting enough fresh air if we do that?"

He shook his head. "Nah, this place is pretty well aired. We'll be fine."

As they gathered the blankets, Jane commented, "Once, when we were young, we got stuck in an ice storm where we had no power for a whole week. At first it was fun, and very pretty, but it got very cold really quickly. My dad had us make a tent in the middle of the main room, and we all went inside it to keep warm. It worked pretty well. It was like camping inside."

"Y'think there might be a tent stashed somewheres?"

"Maybe. If there is, what do you think about putting it up right here?" She pointed to a spot right in front of the fireplace.

He nodded. "Good idea. Anything that maxes our heat is good." Sure enough, they found an old two-man tent that was just about the same size as the bed mattress. Soon they had it set up, and the mattress was placed inside with the blankets. "We are going to be real cosy in there. No worries." Jane looked at the flickering light of the fire and the candles on the table with a frown and crease lines between her eyebrows. Johnny put his hand on her arm. "Really, don't worry. I'll stoke up the fire an' it'll burn most of the night, and we'll keep a lantern just outside in case we need it." She nodded. "So why're you looking so miserable, Honey?"

"Because my nose is really cold and I have to visit the toilet."

"Well, be a pioneer!" he said. She stuck her tongue out at him, grabbed the candle from the table and headed into the washroom.

Soon they were snuggled together in their tent bedroom, with the flap open facing the fireplace. "Friction creates heat, y'know," he said conversationally.

"You don't fool me one bit, Johnny. That's your solution to just about everything."

"If it works, why look for somethin' else?" She nuzzled her nose into his neck. "Oo. Chilly," he complained.

"You think that's cold, you should check out my fingers!" and she put her hand under his vest and inside his shirt.

He took in a quick breath from shock at her cold touch, but then said, "It's all in a good cause…"


	2. Chapter 2

Snow Storm part 2

The sky was getting lighter, and the wood in the fireplace was almost gone. Jane opened her eyes, and saw that Johnny was already awake and looking at her. "Have you been awake long?"

He tilted his head slightly. "A little while. Just enjoyin' the view."

She smiled. "I don't want to get up."

"Then don't. We can stay here as long as you like." She propped herself up a bit on her elbows. "You look like you're thinkin', Jane."

She nodded. "But I think I'll wait to tell you until after we've gotten ready for the day and had something to eat."

"I don't know if I like the sound of that," he said, scratching his neck.

"It's not serious. Just something I think I should talk to you about, and now seems like a good time."

He stretched. "Well, guess we'd better start the day, then."

After they climbed out of the tent, Johnny took off the blankets from a window and the door. He started to laugh and shake his head. "I don't believe it!" The snow was up against the door to his chest, and the window was covered to about six inches from the top. He hit his forehead with the flat of his hand and grimaced. "Ohhh, the shovelling!" He paused. "And I gotta find the stupid shovels first!" he growled.

Jane turned around from putting fresh logs on the fire. She placed the kettle on the metal plate in front where it would heat, and stood up. She came over to where he was standing, and put her arms around his waist. "I'm an expert shoveller, you know."

He looked at her with some surprise. "I didn't know that."

"Been here many times before, remember?"

"Right. Ever been like this before?"

"Not this bad, but we've had some pretty dramatic snow falls." She peered out the door. "Still, I think this must be a record!"

"I hope so!"

Johnny made them scrambled eggs in a frying pan after manoeuvring some of the wood in the fireplace. Jane commented, "I don't know what it is, but these are about the best eggs I've ever tasted! What did you do?"

He grinned at her and touched his nose with his finger. "Secret, passed down through generations."

"You didn't do anything, did you?"

"Nope. Just regular eggs. Must be the company."

She giggled and cleaned her plate. "Must be..."

When they were ready, all bundled up for the outside, Johnny pulled open the door, and shook his head incredulously at the wall of snow that greeted them. "I don't believe it, even though I see it."

"Oh, how I wish I had a camera!" exclaimed Jane, "This is amazing!" Johnny asked for the frying pan, so he could start throwing the snow away from the top and get to the shovels located somewhere on the porch. He knew where they should be; it was just a question of digging them out. Jane grabbed an ancient baking sheet for cookies and started pushing the snow away from the doorway like Johnny was doing.

He stopped her after a minute. "Whoa there, Jane. We're just going to let all the cold air into the cabin if we do it like this. C'mon, let's close the door." Sure enough, the short time they had had the door open already made a difference in the temperature inside the cabin. "Hows 'bout we nail some blankets around the door from the ceiling, like another tent. That way we can get in and out and still get snow away from the door." Jane nodded, and soon they had a 'vestibule' area set up. "There's only room for one, honey. I'll go for now."

Jane put her hand on his cheek. "Love you, you know." He smiled and shooed her out of the new tent. He called out when he found the shovels and put the second one inside the cabin.

After about an hour, he gave a whoop of success. "I found the porch!" he called.

Jane peeked her head in the makeshift tent entrance. "Look at that! Who'd have thought it would be such a great sight!"

Johnny grinned. "Yeah!"

"Do you want to take a break? After all, that snow is not going away without your help."

He sighed. "Yeah, you're right. Okay, I'll come in, but I'm not cold, that's for sure." He stretched his stiff muscles and only protested mildly when Jane disappeared into the tent to continue the shovelling. After 10 minutes rest he came out to join her. She was already flushed and tendrils of red hair curled like a halo around her face. He grabbed the other shovel, and started in again on the mountain of snow.

After another hour, the steps down from the porch were cleared as well as an area about the same size at the bottom, but the snow banks were almost as high as the low end roof of the cabin. They stood at the bottom of the steps and looked up. The sky was bright blue, and there was no wind at all in their little clearing. "Using my great tracking ability, I feel the Land Rover is through there." He poked his arm straight into the bank beside him, leaving a long hole at shoulder height. "Should only take about a week to find it." They both smiled, but then sighed. He hugged Jane close to him. "Ah, Jane. Not the getaway I imagined." He kissed her forehead. "Back to it?"

She shook her head. "Let's go inside, get something to eat, and listen to the news, so we can find out what's going on in the world."

The little radio didn't have the greatest reception, but they were able to hear the weather report; no surprise, their area had been hit with a record snow fall, and the only way to get around was by snowmobile, skis or snowshoes. All the roads were closed. Fortunately, the forecast said that the storm was over. Now the monumental task of clearing up was starting. Jane lay down on her belly on the mattress in the tent, and looked pensively at the fire. Johnny sat cross-legged beside her. "Hey, sweetheart, what's up?"

She shrugged. "Just thinking about something."

"That thing you wanted to talk about?" She nodded, but didn't say anything. "Okay, well, you know where I am when you want to tell me."

She touched his arm gently. "I know." She smiled and changed the subject. "Too bad we don't have some marshmallows and chocolate – we could have made S'mores!" She pointed to the fireplace.

"You know what we used to make over fires at Powwows when I was a kid? Ever hear of bannock on a stick?"

'Nope, but if you tell me the ingredients, maybe we can try it." She jumped up, and together they started opening cupboards. The 'kitchen' was stocked with essentials, and they found some flour, baking powder and oil. Soon Johnny was showing Jane how to mix the ingredients with her fingers while adding water until they were all the right consistency for the dough. He then took a palm-sized piece and wrapped it around a stick they had for poking the fire. When it was a nice golden brown all over, he took it out of the fire and offered it to Jane. She peeled off a piece and blew on it before putting it in her mouth. "This is delicious! And so easy!" Johnny stuffed the rest of the bannock into his mouth and grinned at her. He wrapped more dough around the stick and put it back into the fire.

While it was cooking Jane said, "Speaking of Powwows…"

He looked at her quizzically. "Okay…."

"Well, it's just kind of related to what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Huh…well you sure got my interest now."

"Remember when we went to the reservation to say hi after the wedding? We stayed at your aunt's place?"

"Yeah…" She looked a little nervous. He continued, "Did something happen? I don't remember anything."

"Probably because it's your home. Let's just say, I was never so aware of being different before, even when I lived in France."

"What are you talking about?"

"That supper your aunt threw for us in her backyard – and half the town came – well…"

"Jane, just tell me, please." She didn't want to look him in the face, so she kept her head low, and tore tiny pieces of bannock from the stick, rolling them in her fingers. "Jane," he said with more authority, "I want you to tell me what happened at that supper."

She looked up at him tentatively. "There were some people there who were not very happy that you married a white woman."

"What?"

She nodded. "Some of the women refused to shake my hand while we were being introduced, and a couple of men wouldn't even look at me; it was as if I was, I don't know…" She looked at his face and could see the confusion on it, as he was trying to make sense what she was telling him. "Johnny, I just felt you should know. I was not welcome there. I'm just too 'pale face.' I don't think they would ever say anything to you…"

He nodded his head slowly. "You know, ever since I started working for the fire department in LA there have been some…not hard feelings, but just a…I don't know what you'd call it...it's like I sold out or something, by going to the city…I guess I didn't realize how deep it goes for some of them when someone marries outside."

Jane looked worried. "It's part of who you are. I don't want to be the reason for you not to be welcome in your home. I just don't know what I can do about it. I can't change my skin…"

Johnny gathered her into his arms. "I don't want you to. I like your freckles; they're cute." She scrunched her nose at him. "Jane, ours isn't the first mixed marriage that's ever gone through there, especially in my family. It won't be the last either." He sat down in the armchair, and pulled her onto his lap. "You know, I honestly never considered it to be an issue when dating someone – what color they were or what religion or whatever. It's never entered my head to even think like that."

"That's something that I love about you – there's not a prejudiced bone in your body."

"My parents weren't like that. Too bad I can't say that for the rest of my relatives."

"Not everyone, Johnny – it was only a few people. Your aunt obviously loves you, and you can do no wrong in her eyes."

"Wasn't always like that," he grinned.

"Oh, I'm sure you gave them all plenty of heart attacks growing up."

"Well, I didn't really like school, or it didn't like me – I just wanted to be outside, doing things…"

Jane grinned back at him. "I can see it. What I can't see, is you in a classroom."

"Nope. Neither did most of my teachers."

She gave a laugh, but then became serious. "About the visit…"

"Don't worry, Jane. Don't let it bother you how they acted – no matter where you go you're going to find people like that. Just be yourself." He kissed her again.

"Thanks, Johnny. I feel better for telling you. And I wouldn't give you up even if the whole reservation came against me. I don't think I could."

He helped her stand up and got up himself. "You won't have to. I know what I want, and I have it all right here."

She smiled up into his face. "In a snowed-in cabin without electricity?"

"Yep." He was silent for a moment, and then asked, "Why are you bringing this up now? It's been quite awhile since that trip." They sat down again beside each other, this time on the mattress in front of the fire.

"We didn't really have time, did we? I mean, right after our honeymoon we started back to work, and then we found out I was pregnant…" her voice trailed off.

Johnny sighed and looked into the fire. Jane felt like the ghost of their little boy was in the room with them. She knew exactly how old he would be…she always did. It was like he was still nearby, but in some shadowy realm, growing up in real time. Sometimes she almost felt that if only she knew the key, she could unlock the door that separated them and he would be waiting for her.

Johnny looked over at her, just as she blinked back a tear. "Jane…"

"I'm okay, really, Johnny. I just miss him so much, you know? Isn't it strange how you can miss someone so intensely that you never really knew? But I did know him – I was the only one who did. We spent every minute of every day together…" her voice cracked a little with emotion. John rubbed her back while she looked through the dancing flames, remembering and imagining. She decided to share her thoughts with Johnny. "It's like I can almost see him, you know? He's right there…" She sighed deeply. "Sometimes I dream that I'm holding him, and he smiles at me…"

"I know," he replied.

"Do you really?" she asked in wonder.

"Yeah. I see him too, in my mind. Sometimes I dream about him. But not often."

Jane echoed his last words, "Not often…You know what else, Johnny?" she continued, "I'm terrified of having another child, even though I want one so much. I can't bear the thought of losing someone else, and yet, if I don't try, if I can't hold our baby…" The pain inside her welled up and over, and she grabbed her knees and held on to them as tight as she could. Johnny had no words to comfort her, because her pain was his as well, so they just sat together without speaking. After a few minutes, Jane recovered enough to smile at him tremulously. "So, back to the snow?"

His smile was gentle and accepting. "I was just waiting for you to ask."


	3. Chapter 3

Snow Storm part 3

Johnny and Jane went back outside and assessed the situation, trying to make a plan on how they would dig themselves out. They started shovelling again, in the direction that they thought the Land Rover was located; working in a terraced formation so the snow wouldn't blow back down on areas they had just cleared. Soon their jackets were on the porch, and Johnny had rolled up his sleeves. The sun made the snow sparkle as if millions of diamonds had been cast randomly at their feet. The clear blue of the sky and dark green of the trees, combined with the bright white of the snow were all breathtakingly beautiful. It felt good to be out working in this pristine wonderland. They took their time, enjoying the sunshine.

After a while, Jane looked up and leaned on her shovel, but as Johnny began to talk to her, she said, "Shhh. Do you hear something? Like a motor?"

He lifted his head and listened. "Yeah, I hear it, too." They turned towards the sound, and saw a snowmobile heading in their direction, coming up the road – or where the road would be, under all that snow. The trees lining the sides were covered to their lower branches, and heavy loads had caused several tree limbs to fall into the path of the snowmobile, but the driver was able to skirt around them.

"Halloo!" the driver called. "Everyone all right?" Johnny waved to the man and he drove up to the side of the cabin. He was wearing a navy parka, and as he pushed off his hood, he also lifted up a balaclava off his face so he could speak more clearly with the Gages. "Saw the smoke from your chimney. Just checking that everyone is okay. Sheriff's office."

Johnny reached up to the snow bank and shook the man's hand as he reached down. "John Gage, vacationing LA county fireman paramedic, and my wife, Jane – pleased to meet you."

"Well, now! Name's Bob James – I'm a volunteer fireman myself, and I have a snowmobile, so offered my services to the sheriff to check up on people out here. Say, Mr Gage, we sure could use your expertise, if you don't mind. We've got a couple of injured people back there, and no medicos to help out. I imagine you're probably pretty good at rescue, and we could really use a hand with that as well. What do you say?"

Johnny looked at Jane. "Of course, he'd be happy to help," she answered for him, "Is there anything that I can do?"

"I dunno, ma'am. What can you do?"

"Standard First Aid. But I'll help anywhere and anyway I can."

Bob smiled broadly. "Then the question is, when can you good people come?"

"We don't have any transportation right now. Just trying to dig it out, as a matter of fact."

"You couldn't use it anyways – none of the roads are plowed yet. Think you could hop onto this snowmobile with me? It's the fastest and most reliable way to get around for now."

Johnny nodded towards the cabin. "We need to take care of some things in there first – got a fire to deal with and some supplies we could gather up – can you give us a few minutes to do that?"

"Are you kidding? For the kind of help we're getting from you, I'll even come in and give you a hand!"

Johnny took care of putting out the fire while making sure they would be able to light it again fairly easily when they came back. Jane collected a flashlight, a first aid kit, a blanket, and some chocolate and put them into a bag. She asked Johnny if there was anything else she should include. "Soap, washcloth, some plastic bags if we've got, a sewing kit, maybe some alcohol just in case." She went around and gathered the items together.

Johnny said to Bob, "Anything else you see that you think might come in useful? Got any ropes?"

Bob scratched his cheek. "Don't know. Problem is, some things that we might normally access might be buried under the snow, you know?"

Johnny gave a nod. "I sure do. Okay, I'll just do another sweep of the place to see if there is anything else I can find, and then we can head out."

"I think I'd better take you first, Mr Gage."

"Call me Johnny."

"Fine, Johnny. Then I'll come back and pick up your wife. How does that sound?"

"Where will you be taking him?" asked Jane.

"We have an informal command post at the township garage – where we keep the snow plows and such. Seemed the most logical place, since no one can really go anywhere till those machines get moving. But the medical clinic is running on generator, and there is someone out trying to get the doc to come in."

"Jane, do you mind?"

"No, not at all – better get moving! I'm sure they needed you somewhere ten minutes ago!"

When she could no longer hear or see the snowmobile, Jane went back into the cabin. She stood in the middle of the main room and looked around. She felt very alone all of a sudden. She usually tried to look confidently to the future, but since losing the baby she had moments when she realized that something was broken inside of her, and worried that maybe it was a permanent condition.

Johnny was so kind. He really seemed to understand how she was feeling when they had been sitting in front of the fire earlier. He could be ridiculous and even irritating sometimes, but whenever she needed him to be serious, he was right there.

Sometimes she could see he was sad too; she had seen him playing with Roy's son Chris and then suddenly stopping what they were doing as if distracted; once she caught him watching Roy work together with his son on some project and a wistful look crossed his face. She knew that he understood how she felt. So why was she suddenly feeling so bereft?

She stood in the cold room, with the fire gone, and the bag of extra supplies at her feet, and felt the tears drip down her face. She was grateful that John wasn't there to see her crying, yet again. She really meant what she said when she talked about believing in love living forever. Was she a hypocrite then for feeling this way?

* * *

><p>Johnny kept his face turned away from the wind and tucked into Bob Wilson's back as much as possible, wishing that he had a balaclava to cover his face like his driver. Because the snow was fresh, the treads from the snowmobile kicked up the powder like spray from a speedboat and it bit at his exposed skin. He also wished he had worn his ski gloves rather than the woollen ones he had on. Over the roar of the engine, he was surprised that he could still make out the cracking sounds of branches breaking and falling – in the crisp air the noise carried and sounded somewhat like gunshots. Bob yelled back at him after a particularly loud crack, "Gonna be a lot of trees needing felling after this!" John didn't bother to answer due to the machine's noise, but privately estimated that maybe as much as a quarter of the trees had been affected in some way. It was quite the snowfall.<p>

* * *

><p>Jane sat down on the mattress and looked at the dead fire. Dead fire, dead baby, dead mother, dead dad…She tried to shake herself out of her negative mindset. Her thoughts turned to her sister, living in a 'specialized care facility.' She hadn't spoken to her since just after the baby died; she didn't know what to say. What was her loss when compared to losing the ability to live on your own, to care for your own needs, to work? She remembered seeing her sister in the hospital intensive care unit, wondering how to tell her that their mother was dead, that their father was seriously burned and his chances were not good, that the doctors said Sue would never walk again, never ride another horse, never run or dance…Looking back from where she was now, that time was a blur, and she wondered how she came through it.<p>

She did know, in a way; it had to do with Mark, her first serious boyfriend. She remembered how he initially came upon her, sitting in the back stairwell of the college science labs after classes were over for the day, crying, unable to bear the burden of all that she carried any longer. He had asked her what was wrong, and in her weakness, she had told him the bare bones of what was going on in her life; the accident, her parents' deaths, her sister's crippling injuries. Somehow, from that moment, he had taken over planning and organizing her life. She recalled how numbly grateful she had been, how they had somehow become a couple, with Mark calling all the shots. He decided what they did, what their future would be like.

Looking back from her perspective in the snow surrounded cabin, she could see why she had relied on him so completely and blindly. She had been grateful for his 'love' even while she wondered what he had really felt for her…and then, she remembered going to see Auntie Mags, to deal with all the things left over from her mom's death and to arrange her sister's care...

What a surprise that had been. Instead of support and counsel, there was an outpouring of blame and anger…somehow it was her, Jane's, fault that the accident had happened, that Mags' sister was dead, that Sue was "nearly a vegetable"…she was ordered back to LA to 'fix it' when she had nothing left to give…and then when she got back, finding Mark with Jenna, one of her closest friends. How sick she became at their mutual betrayal. How blindsided and destroyed she felt. There was no one left she could talk to, no one she could trust….friends, family, all close relationships broken and gone. Only pain, grief and loneliness remained.

It had taken some time to recover, finish her teaching degree, and create an alternative family through volunteering at the community center. Well, not really a family, because she never told anyone how she really felt, how lonely her nights were…but she had focused on loving her grade one students and caring for the elderly shut-ins from the center, until miraculously, one day there was Johnny, the DeSotos, the men from Station 51, Dixie, Dr Joe, and even, surprisingly, Dr Brackett…her new family.

She had not yet told Johnny about Mark – all he knew was that there had been someone in her life when she was in college with whom she had been engaged to marry but that it didn't work out. She was grateful that John never pried into her past, and always took what she told him with matter-of- fact acceptance. Someday she would tell him about Mark and what he'd done. Maybe.

Jane shook her head out of her reverie and came back to the present. She rubbed her arms with her hands, glad that she had her gloves on. She looked outside into the bright sunlight and it hurt her eyes. Those times were long gone. She had Johnny now, and he had somehow made things right in her life. She wondered where he was and what he was doing.


	4. Chapter 4

Snow Storm part 4

When the snowmobile got to the garage where the command post had been set up, Johnny was greeted with open arms. As soon as Bob James introduced him, several people started trying to talk to him at once, and from the back of the garage, at a desk beside a makeshift command table consisting of a couple of benches with a door laid on top, a man waved to him to come over. Bob walked with him and introduced Johnny. "He's a paramedic from LA – lots of experience."

"Hello there, young man. We are sure pleased to see you! George Smith. Chief of the volunteer fire department and retired army. Getting this crew into some sort of shape, so we can hit the bad spots. Just need to decide if we want you most on the road, or at the hospital. What's your feeling? How much medical do you have?"

"Well, Chief, a good amount of field emergency, though I usually work with my partner under direction of a doctor. And normally I'd have quite a bit of equipment at hand."

Chief Smith nodded, and Bob put his hand on John's arm to get his attention. "I'm gonna go back and get your wife now." The chief looked up at Bob from over his glasses, and Bob clarified, "She's got some basic first aid – I was thinking the clinic would be a good place for her to work."

The chief nodded again. "You go do that." He turned his attention back to Johnny as Bob strode out of the garage and started his snowmobile back up again. "Come take a look at some injuries we've got right here." The two men walked over to the other side of the garage, where a man was lying on a cot, with a bandage covering his eye. Johnny bent down and introduced himself, and asked if he could look at the injury. The man nodded. Johnny lifted the dressing and saw a wound beside the man's eye, just missing the socket. It had stopped bleeding, but he could see a little flash of bone. "What happened?"

"Stupid thing – was trying to clear away some fallen branches, and one of them swung 'round and caught me right in the eye. Wife thought I had lost my eye 'cause of the blood – started screaming like a crazy woman. We don't live far – just over the rise – and we basically walked over; as best we could with this snow. It was hard slogging. M'wife's on the other cot – she didn't dress too warm in her rush to get me here, and with the accident, well…"

Johnny said soothingly, "You're going to be fine." He spread out the first aid kit and started to work cleaning and assessing the wound. After a moment he called over to the Fire Chief.

"Chief, I can't do stitches, and the wound isn't that big, but it should be closed right now because there's a bit of uncovered bone. I've seen a technique that's been used in emergency situations – super glue. Do we have any available?"

"I'll ask the garage men, but I expect so. Super glue, huh? Y'mean that stuff that can hold up a grown man from a beam? What will they think of next?"

Chief Smith watched carefully as John made sure the edges of the wound were touching exactly and when the paramedic said, "Okay, just a couple of drops right over the center", he did as instructed, then watched as John spread the glue very carefully and gently with a tooth pick, lightly covering the edges. John then used a couple of thin strips of tape to hold the edges together as the glue set, and to reinforce the repair.

"Nice work, if I do say so," commented the chief.

After Johnny had the man 'stitched' up, and sitting with a cold pack over his eye to reduce the swelling, he was able to go deal with the man's wife. She seemed to be most anxious about her husband's eye, and wasn't impressed at all to find that the wound had been glued together. She glared at Johnny. "Young man, do you really know what you are doing?"

Johnny had to use his considerable charm in order to calm her down and give her an examination. He reported to the chief that she would be fine – the cold exposure hadn't negatively affected her, and it was mainly anxiety about her husband that was causing her symptoms of heart palpitations and shortness of breath. "A hot cup of coffee with lots of sugar is my prescription." One of the other men grinned and went off to get it for her.

Chief Smith walked with John back to his desk. "Well, what's your feeling? Rescue or clinic? Got to decide now, 'cause I got a lot of area to cover, and you're about it for trained medical response."

Johnny wasn't used to having his opinion asked for, and replied, "Well, I think you're probably a better judge of that than I am, 'cause I don't know the area and I'm not used to snow, but I'm first and foremost a rescue man." He shrugged. "But if you don't have any docs around, then I guess I'm it for now."

The chief sat down. "Son, I need your take. I don't know you, and if I had two of you, it wouldn't be a question." Johnny still didn't know what to say. George put his hands together on the makeshift desktop. "How 'bout this then? We'll have you make your way over to the clinic, and if there's anything we hear about that we need you to make a trip for, we'll get you from there."

Johnny nodded, relieved. "That sounds great, Chief."

"Great. Just one more thing to do. Scott, c'mere a minute." The chief called over a man who was standing nearby and said to him, "I want you to be an official witness to this, and write it up for me to sign." He then turned back to John. "I'm hereby deputizing you as a temporary member of the volunteer fire department, and giving you a special assignment as a provider of emergency medical care to those within this jurisdiction." He shook John's hand. "Welcome, fireman. Glad to have you on board. Scott, get that typed out and back to me so he can sign it before he leaves." Scott nodded, writing notes on a pad of paper in his hand, and George raised his eyebrows at him, saying firmly, "That means right now." John grinned.

* * *

><p>Jane heard the snowmobile coming from inside the cabin, and went outside to meet Bob. He raised his arm in greeting, and yelled over the sound of his motor, "I'm gonna take you over to the local clinic. You can help out there for now." She nodded, and climbed onto the back of his machine. The ride took about 20 minutes, and they didn't bother trying to talk to each other due to the wind and flying snow. When they pulled up to the clinic, she saw that it was about the size of a large cottage.<p>

Bob helped Jane climb off the snowmobile and carried her bag of supplies. There was one other person there, a woman who had come on snowshoes, which were standing up beside the door outside. She was widening a shovelled path to the door. The window frames were uncovered as well, making the lower half of the clinic look a little bit like a hybrid igloo. The woman looked like she was in her mid forties, but her hair was almost white. Her face was kind, with large grey eyes. She put her shovel aside when Bob came up and asked, "Hi, Bob, who's your friend?"

"Cathy, this is Jane Gage. She's got some first aid, and she's willing to help out with whatever needs to be done."

Cathy shook Jane's hand. "Great to meet you, Jane. I trained as a nurse's aide many moons ago, so after I cleared this out, I was going to go around inside and check on supplies. I'm just refreshing my memory here, before these guys start bringing us customers."

She smiled at Bob, who gave Jane a pat on the back and said, "I'm going to fill up the generator with gas, get it started for you, and then head right out, but I'll prob'ly be seeing you fairly soon. Good luck, ladies!" He waved and was gone.

The two women pushed open the clinic door and entered. Jane looked around the room, and Cathy said, "Why don't I show you around, and we can see what we've got to work with together, okay?" Jane nodded. The building was constructed with lots of inexpensive knotty pine wood panelling. The reception area consisted of a blue-green Formica-topped counter with a black telephone, a Formica covered desk and a tall pale green filing cabinet behind it. A bookcase of files and office supplies stood against the far wall. On a smaller desk beside the cabinet was a shortwave radio with a headset. On the other side of the room there were several wooden benches and some metal and plastic chairs. There was a pamphlet display on a table under the window, and a message board with items for sale and offers of services.

Cathy opened one of the three doors that lead off the reception area, and Jane saw that it was a basic examining/surgical room. A locked glass cabinet stood in the corner. Cathy pointed to it and said, "I have a key, courtesy of the sheriff's office, but I'm not touching anything in there unless I receive a direct order." Jane nodded. Cathy opened some cupboards over a little sink in the room. "Gloves, bandages, pads, splints, the basics…" She opened the doors underneath the counter. "Some gowns, masks, more dressings, antibiotic ointments, burn kit…" She stood up. "Well, I guess we've got more than we need, at least for our level of expertise."

They continued their tour, ending with the generator outside, beside the back door. A large plug attached it to the building. "That's how we get our electricity. For now, we're okay, because we've got enough fuel for several hours," said Cathy.

Jane commented, "Just like the old days."

"A bit better than that, Jane. We've got some advantages."

"And for that, we are all very grateful."

"Very!" remarked Cathy, as they headed back inside.

* * *

><p>Johnny was back on a snowmobile, but this time someone had lent him a balaclava, so he could lift his face from his driver's back and actually take a look around. It was very beautiful, though he noticed that the sky was becoming a bit overcast. "More snow?" he called.<p>

His driver, whose name he didn't catch, shrugged and yelled back over his shoulder, "Not forecast. Hope not." The driver looked at the sky and then called back, "Don't think so. Too high." Johnny nodded, surmising that the man was referring to the cloud cover. The man called again over his shoulder, "Think we got something!" Ahead, on the side of the road, there was a misshapen lump like a giant snow-covered boulder. "Doesn't look good!" he called, "Looks like a car off the road!"

As soon as the snowmobile stopped, the two men leaped from their seats and climbed as fast as they could through the hip deep snow to the car, pushing the snow off the roof and sides as fast as they could. It was hard work, because there was nowhere to push the snow, and they had to dig down to free the doors, scooping the snow away with their arms. The windows were all frosted over on the inside, so they couldn't tell if there was anyone in the car or not. Johnny called out, just in case there was someone there who could hear him, "Hello! Hey! Anyone there? Can you hear me?"

When they finally got the door clear, they couldn't get it open – the handle was either frozen or locked. Johnny turned to his companion in frustration. Without saying a word, the other man clambered back to his snowmobile and got out a small crowbar. Johnny continued to bang along the edges of the door to try and get it unstuck. There was no sound from inside the car.

Finally, together, the two men were able to pry the door open, but it was a sad sight that met their eyes. An elderly couple sat in the front seat, their arms wrapped around each other, frozen in death, their faces stained an unnatural ruddy colour that said they had asphyxiated from carbon monoxide poisoning before the cold had gotten to them. Johnny checked for vital signs automatically, even though he could see there was no way they were alive.

The two men could tell all too easily what had happened. For some reason, the couple had been trying to get to the clinic last night when the driving became so bad that they slipped off the road. Not able to get traction, or see where they were going, they decided to wait out the storm in the car. But it was cold, so they left the engine running. Unfortunately, when they went off the road, the snow was high enough that it blocked the tailpipe, and the air inside the car became poisoned. Johnny leaned up against the side of the car, closed his eyes and found himself saying a silent prayer for the couple, even though he was not a religious man. This was not a good start to their rescues. His driver tore off a piece of his shirt and tied the scrap material to the car's antenna, so the vehicle could be found again. They got back on the snow mobile and drove on.


	5. Chapter 5

Snow Storm part 5

Jane and Cathy had just finished their tour of the clinic and Cathy had put the kettle on the stove when there was a knock on the door and a panicked voice called out, "Hello? Anyone there? We need some help, here!" The two women rushed to the front, where they found a young couple that had come in on skis towing a toboggan with a teenage girl on it. Belts were holding her in place on the sled. The girl was obviously in agony and kept moaning. When they saw the girl's left leg, they knew why. It was lying in an unnatural position.

"What happened?" asked Cathy.

"Bad fall off her skis while we were trying to get away from our cabin," said the young man.

The young woman looked very distressed and knelt down to take the girl's hand in her own. She looked up at Jane. "She's my little sister. We came up for the weekend to do some skiing. It was her first time. She didn't know how to fall." The woman looked sick. "We heard the crack when her leg broke."

The young man nodded, "It's really, really, bad. Her foot came up and hit her knee."

All four of them felt their stomachs turn, but then Cathy took charge again. "Did she hit her head at any time?" The couple shook their heads.

"No, it was just the break," answered her sister.

"But that's enough," added her husband.

"Right, well, let's get her into that first room, and see what we can do. I'm getting on the shortwave radio to see who can help us out. This is out of my league." She turned to the woman who had brought in her sister and said, "Why don't you stay with me? I'll show you how to use the radio – the basics – and you can relay messages for us in the surgery." She turned to the woman's companion, "Can you help carry her in here? And then will you be the one to carry the messages back and forth?" He nodded. Jane was grateful for Cathy's leadership.

Cathy sat down with the girl's sister after introductions had been made. "Okay, Laurie, watch what I do." She coached the girl, and then left her to make contact with someone while she returned to the girl with the broken leg. Jane and the young man, Peter, had placed the pale and sweating girl onto the examining table. Jane said softly to him. "It's a good thing she passed out again." He nodded.

Cathy shooed him out of the room to go to his wife's side and take messages. "Now we'll get her undressed, Jane. We need to be able to tell the doctors about her condition."

Jane said, "I felt her pulse. It seems very fast."

Cathy nodded over to the counter as she was unzipping the girl's jacket, and said, "Get a paper and pencil and start writing details down. Age, pulse, breathing rate, injury details, all that stuff. We'll need it to give to the professionals. Who I pray are going to be responding really soon," she added in an under-voice.

* * *

><p>Johnny and his driver didn't see any more cars off the road as they headed to the clinic, but they did see a cabin with smoke coming out the chimney…and around the door frame. "We'd better check that out!" he called. The man nodded, and turned the snowmobile from the road and up the lane towards the cabin. "Sheriff's office!" they yelled as they banged on the doors. They could hear someone moving around inside, and coughing. Johnny frowned and banged on the door again. "Hello! Are you all right in there?" This time they heard stumbling and something falling. Johnny looked at his companion who nodded, and then he called out, "We're coming in!" There was no further noise, so they kicked at the door and it flew open.<p>

The room was filled with smoke. Johnny ran in and grabbed a man who was on his hands and knees near the door, coughing. He passed him to his driver, and pulled his scarf over his face to do a quick sweep of the room for other victims. He couldn't see anyone else and ran outside. "Is there anyone else in there?" he asked the man, who shook his head. John told his companion, "C'mon, we need to get him away from here," and they carried the man towards the snowmobile. "If we sandwich him between us, can we get him to the clinic that way?" The driver nodded.

Johnny ran back inside the cabin and grabbed a coat for their passenger from just inside the door. When he got back, he finally asked, "What are you burning in there, man?"

The man shrugged on his coat with John's help, and sputtered, "Ch-ch- charcoal."

"Oh, man, that stuff's toxic! You nearly killed yourself with that!" He bade the driver grab a bucket and fill it with snow to cover and put out the fire in the fireplace. It took several goes, but then they were ready to leave the cabin without worrying that it might burn down.

Johnny gripped onto his driver's coat with the man supported between them and they started on their way again to the clinic. He hoped that they wouldn't need to stop for any other victims on the way. He didn't see how they could manage anyone else right now.

Soon they pulled up in front of the clinic and Jane met them at the door, as she had heard the engine before they arrived. Johnny and his driver helped the man inside and Jane directed them to the second examining room, where Johnny found an oxygen tank, and started getting the man set up. His driver asked if it was okay if he headed back out or if he was still needed. Johnny looked at Jane. She said, "We have another patient – a teenage girl with a terrible leg break. Cathy is working on her next door, but we really need some help."

Johnny asked, "Who's Cathy and what's her training?"

"She's a former nurse's aide, and she's really good at the basics."

"Okay, great. This fellow's all right for now. I'll come and see the girl." He asked his driver, "Can you stick around for another couple of minutes until I see what we've got next door?" The man nodded and held open the door for Johnny.

Jane asked, "Should I stay or come with you?"

"Stay here for now; I'll call you if I need you." Jane nodded and turned to get some information from the smoke inhalation victim.

Johnny walked into the examination room and found that Cathy and Jane had managed to take off the girl's outer clothing. She was on the examining table in a sweater and jeans. He grimaced when he saw her leg, and then turned to the woman who was working on the girl. "Hi, Cathy, I'm Johnny."

"I am so glad to meet you! Especially in this kind of situation. Jane told me all about you."

"Tell me what we've got. But first, do we have any way to speak with a doctor?"

Cathy nodded. "There's a shortwave in the reception area and I gave some basics to Laurie, this girl's sister, about how to work it. We've almost got somebody available to help us."

Johnny pursed his lips together and looked worried as he began his examination of the girl. "What's her name?"

"Marie Hebert. 16 years old. Hadn't been skiing before and didn't know how to fall. Brother-in-law said they heard the break and saw her foot come up to her knee." Johnny's face said it all. "Yeah, that's how we felt too, when we heard."

"How long has she been unconscious?"

"She comes and goes. Few minutes this time. Every time we move her, and I just finished taking off her snow pants. I had to cut them up. We were very careful to move her as little as possible."

"You did the right thing. Now help me get these jeans cut open so we can see how bad that leg really is. Any head trauma?"

"Not that I know of. Her family said no, and I checked her head for any bumps but I didn't feel anything."

Johnny let his hands run over the girl's head himself, and Marie gave a groan. "It's going to be okay, Marie. Just take it easy." He didn't know if the girl was conscious enough to understand him, but he said it just in case. "Head seems fine. When she comes to, we're going to need some MS. Do you know where it is?"

"Morphine?" Cathy pointed to the glass fronted cabinet. "I have the key in my pocket – someone from the sheriff's office gave it to me."

"At least that's something. Now we just need to get someone to give it to her."

"I know."

"What about IV bottles or bags?"

"I haven't seen any, but that doesn't mean they're not around. Do you want me to take a look?"

"Yeah."

Johnny called for Jane from the next room, so they would have an extra pair of hands. "Jane, I need you to write down the girl's vitals and relay them as soon as we get someone qualified on the radio. Do you have the vitals for the smoke victim?"

"Yes, John, I gave them to Laurie." Jane looked over at Marie's leg, which was now exposed as her jeans had been cut up to her thigh. She felt queasy, and Johnny noticed, telling her to look away.

Johnny ran his hands expertly over Marie's limbs, checking for other injuries. "She needs surgery right now – we really need a doctor, damn it!" He looked back at the dark bruising, swelling and distortion of Marie's leg and a sudden flashback hit him of what he had felt when he had a complex fracture of his own leg.

"Johnny, are you all right?" Jane's voice sounded like it was coming from far away. He pulled himself together. He could do this. He knew what this was and why it was happening. He breathed deeply, closed his eyes tight, opened them, and then he was in control again.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He called to Cathy, "Get me a doctor on the air, and do it now." He turned to his wife. "Jane, get me splints, dressings, compresses, bandages, whatever; just pull it all out and put it on the counter, so I can see what we've got." He turned back to Marie, and started to re-take her vitals.

"We've got someone from Barton on the air, Johnny," called Cathy.

"What's Barton?" he asked as he walked into the reception area.

"It's the nearest hospital – just opened a few years ago – state of the art for the area. They even have air ambulance, so if we can find a place that's big enough and clear enough of snow, we will be able to transport some of our victims."

"That would be great!"

"But those are big 'ifs', Johnny," commented Cathy.

He sighed, "Yeah, I know."

Peter looked up from where he was hovering over his wife, who had the headset on, and was talking with someone on the air. "Is there something I can do? I'm feeling like a third wheel here."

Johnny sized up the young man. "Is your stomach good?"

Peter looked a bit scared. "Um, I hope so?"

"That's gotta do. Come with me – I need you to help me with Marie while we immobilize her leg to get her ready for transport. And Cathy?" She looked up from where she was giving vitals to Laurie to pass onto the person at Barton. "See if they can bring in a nurse or doctor to set up a couple of IVs and some medication for Marie when they come." She nodded and relayed the request to Laurie.

Jane acted as assistant while Johnny and Peter stabilized her leg. Marie didn't know anything except for her pain, so it was very hard on her, and on her helpers who were taking care of her. Johnny then turned to Jane and asked her to check on the man in the other room. She walked in and found him sitting up. He had been listening to Marie moaning and crying out in the other room, and was pretty upset, so Jane talked with him and helped him to calm down.

Cathy called out to Johnny again, "They're going to land an air ambulance at the garage; the guys were able to get an area cleared in front that would work. We just need to get our patients there."

He came to the radio. "Well, we're not going to do it on skis and a toboggan, that's for sure. Can you get me the fire chief on that thing? We need some alternatives."

Peter had stayed with Jane by Marie's side. He asked Jane if she knew what would be happening now. Marie's face was ashen grey. She did not look good. Jane put her hand on Peter's shoulder. "We're doing everything we can. It will work out."

He nodded, distracted, and looked down at his sister-in-law. "I just don't know how she's gonna cope if she can't use her leg." He looked at Jane with fear in his eyes. "Do you think they'll have to cut it off?" Jane reassured him as best she could, but she really didn't have any answers. From what she had learned from Johnny and working at the hospital, the girl was in shock, and shock could kill. It might be that losing her leg was the least of her worries.

While waiting for the chief to get back to them, the crew in the clinic assessed the situation. It was another twenty minutes drive by snowmobile from the clinic to the garage. How were they going to transport Marie that distance and keep her stable?

Just then Laurie called out, "They have a doctor from Barton on site at the garage – just landed in the air ambulance!" Cathy and Johnny looked at each other and smiled with relief, then looked down at Marie, and instantly became serious.

The unnamed man with whom John had ridden to the clinic came back inside from where he had been shovelling. He was carrying his walkie-talkie. "We've got Bob James arriving in a few minutes. Chief wants to know if you've figured out what to do at this end."

"We have her leg immobilized, ready for transport. But she's not looking good right now, and time is really important here. She really needs an IV like yesterday, and some MS."

The radio crackled, and Laurie answered whoever was calling. "The doctor wants to know if you have access to any medications."

"I've got the key right here," replied Cathy.

"He says to take all the medications you can spare and bring them with you when you transport the victims, so he can use them at the command centre. He says that for now he's going to set up his base there, rather than try to get up to us here. He also says that the chief says clearing a road to us is the number one priority, but it may take several hours because of the volume of snow to be moved. He's asking to speak to you, Johnny."

"All right – Cathy, you can unlock that cabinet and start unloading some meds into a bag, but leave most of it here. Just keep track of how much you take and leave – write it down. Peter, check on our breathing victim and Jane, do the same for Marie. Then bring the info to me." He turned to the radio and took the headset from Laurie.

Johnny told the doctor that the only thing he could see to do for Marie was an air lift from the parking lot area beside the clinic. "We need to use a Stokes – I really don't think she can handle any rough transport, Doc." After some discussion, it was arranged that Johnny and the doctor from Barton would accompany Marie in the air ambulance right to the hospital, while the snow mobiles would drive her sister and brother-in-law and the smoke inhalation victim to the garage, where other transportation would be arranged for them.

While they were waiting for the air ambulance, they all took turns working on shovelling an area clear to the parking lot so they could walk through and carry Marie out on a stretcher, which they would slide along the snow on top of the toboggan. Soon they heard chopper blades and a helicopter was hovering over the lot. Someone opened the door and began slowly lowering the Stokes, which spun and twisted as it descended. The snow was blown up from the blades and began swirling high into the air as the clinic team carried Marie out to the Stokes, which was being steadied by Johnny. She was covered completely with several blankets that encased her like a cocoon. Jane was amazed at how quickly and efficiently Marie was loaded into the chopper and Johnny was hitched to the hoist and lifted into the aircraft after her. The snow from the ground resembled the earlier blizzard as the rotors picked up speed and the air ambulance flew away.


	6. Chapter 6

Snow Storm part 6

As soon as they were clear, everyone but Cathy and Jane got onto the snow mobiles to make the trek to the garage and from there to the hospital. As they waved goodbye, Cathy asked Jane if she would like some soothing cream, as the wind and snow had made their faces red and raw. Jane replied, "Yes, please," and the two women went back inside the clinic.

Their respite was short lived, though, as a mother and son arrived by snowmobile. She was supporting him on the seat in front of her as she drove up, having tied him to her with her scarf. The two women were horrified to see that he had something large and sharp protruding from his neck, supported by his own scarf, which was wrapped around his neck and head. Jane and Cathy ran to grab the boy as soon as the mother cut the snowmobile's engine. The mother was trembling from cold and fear, and the boy was very cold and barely conscious, with some bleeding around the wound. She told Cathy that the youngster had jumped off the roof of their family's porch, knocking off and then somehow landing on an icicle, which had pierced his neck; "I didn't dare pull it out – but I think he's dying!" They brought them into the room recently vacated by Marie, and then Jane ran to the shortwave radio. Cathy began yelling information at Jane who feverishly wrote down details on the pad beside the radio, and tried to make contact with Barton Hospital again.

When she got through, she let them know what they had. "Hello, Barton? We have a 7 year old boy who has fallen off a roof onto an icicle, which is still embedded in his neck. The icicle is located just to the right of the larynx, underneath the jaw. The fall happened about 15 minutes ago. Mother is here." Jane listened, wrote some notes, and began relaying questions to Cathy, "Can you feel a carotid pulse?"

"Yes."

"Breathing?"

"Raspy, but clear. Shallow and I think rapid."

"Is he conscious?"

"Semi."

"Can you ask him to move his hands and feet?"

There was a very long pause, and then Cathy responded, "He moved his fingers briefly, and his feet twitched."

Jane listened intently to the headset for more instructions. "Is there any swelling around the injury or signs of bruising?"

"I don't think so," Cathy called, "but the icicle has made most of the tissue very cold."

"They say not to touch the icicle, as there may be clotting that could be dislodged."

The boy's mother sat on the chair beside the examining table and sobbed quietly in fear and shock as she tried to gather herself together enough to help Cathy.

"Can you look in his mouth very carefully?" called Jane.

"What am I looking for?" replied Cathy.

"Any signs of blood or bleeding."

Cathy used the smallest of movements and had his mother hold a flashlight so she could check. "Not that I can see."

"Any drooling? Coughing?"

"No, but he's so cold..."

Jane passed along the information and they waited patiently. Cathy asked her to ask Barton what she should do about the icicle melting – would it be dangerous to the boy? Should they try to keep it cold or warm it up?

Jane listened for the answer. "Ice is good, because it slows the blood flow and acts as a natural anaesthetic. Monitor his breathing and pulse rate, and as long as they don't change, the lower body temperature may actually help him."

Cathy called back. "That's what I thought. So we keep it from melting as much as we can, right?"

"They're sending another air ambulance." Jane paused and listened to the other person on the air. "Looks like as soon as Johnny lands, he will turn around and come back here, with a nurse on board, to pick up the boy and get him to Barton asap." She waited again for information, and then turned to the child's mother. "Can you drive your snowmobile to the township's garage? They'll arrange transportation to the hospital for you from there. If not, someone will come and pick you up here, but it might be up to half an hour from now."

His mother looked at her pale injured son, and at Cathy. "As soon as he's on his way, I'll go. Oh, if only my husband were here!" she cried.

Jane put down the headset and walked over to the doorway to comfort the woman. "If you leave his coordinates with us, we'll make sure he can meet you at the hospital soon." The woman nodded, trying not to break down.

Within less than ten minutes, they heard the chopper return, and slid the boy out on their stretcher sled combination, wading through the knee high snow that had yet to be cleared. Johnny was lowered down from the chopper, as well as another Stokes, and the women helped him to secure the child into the basket. Once again, within minutes, the helicopter was flying away with the victim.

Inside the clinic Jane gave the mother a cup of hot coffee with lots of sugar in it, and told her to drink it all before she left, so she would have some warmth and energy for her trip. Cathy knew that Jane was really giving it to her to help combat the natural shock reactions that had started to show.

Soon, the two women were alone again, and this time they were able to clean up from all their visitors that afternoon. They had just settled down after finishing their chores to have hot drinks themselves when they heard a new noise outside.

What a welcome sight met them, as they saw a very large plow struggling to clear the center of the roadway. Behind it, there were two other somewhat smaller plows pushing the remaining snow onto either side of the road. And to Cathy's delight, she recognized the local doctor sitting in the front seat of the second plow. She clapped her hands, and Jane laughed at her enthusiasm. One of the plows turned into the parking lot and began to clear a space, while the largest plow blew its air horn and passed on up the road, with the smaller plow following behind.

Dr Grenady jumped out of the cab, and climbed through the snow to shake Cathy's hand and be introduced to Jane. He was about the same age as Cathy, and it was evident that they knew each other well. He came inside the clinic and spoke with Barton on the short-wave radio, and then congratulated the women on all that they had accomplished that day.

They heard a horn outside, and the driver of the smaller plow, who had finished clearing a part of the parking lot, said, "I'm to take you back to the garage, Mrs. Gage. I'm heading there now. Doc, you good?" Dr Grenady nodded and waved, and helped Jane climb into the cab of the plow. Cathy blew her a kiss and called "We'll keep in touch!" as they pulled away.

The cab was noisy inside, but there was no snow spray in her face, which she really appreciated. Suddenly Jane was very, very tired. Still, she was startled when the driver had to gently shake her awake after he parked in the garage lot. "Can I help you down, Miss?" he asked. She smiled at him gratefully, and accepted his arm to get her down from the cab. There, talking to the Chief, was her husband, and as she watched, the two men shook hands, and walked over to where she was standing.

"Hey, Jane!" Johnny grinned at his wife. "We've been offered a limo ride back to the cabin."

"A limo?"

"Yeah," he answered, and pointed to the snow plow.

The Chief smiled at Jane. "It's the least we can do to thank you and your husband for the help you've given us today." One of the younger firefighters was called over by the chief. "Grab a shovel, Andrew. You're going to help dig out this fine couple's car." They all climbed into the cab of the plow, with Jane sandwiched between Johnny and Andrew, their bags of makeshift emergency supplies at their feet.

As they drove back to the road where the cabin was located, their driver said in a puzzled voice, "I wonder why Dave is stopped like that, right in the middle of the lane." Ahead of them, on a side road, a plow like the one they were in, was stopped in front of a house on a slight hill.

Andrew peered out the windshield and added, "And why is he out of his cab with a shovel? Hey, aren't those the Harrisons?"

Johnny commented quietly, "I think we'd better stop, guys. I got a feeling 'bout this..." Sure enough, when the group on the road noticed the arriving plow, they started waving frantically and calling out. Jane felt a cold shiver slide down her back that had nothing to do with the air temperature. They stopped, and climbed out of the cab, just as Mr Harrison arrived breathless from running.

"My son..." he gasped, "he was making a fort in the bank...didn't...didn't realize... plow was coming..." Jane covered her hand with her mouth in horror and instinctively turned toward Johnny for direction. So did everyone else. Even though they didn't know him, it seemed that all the men there naturally expected the young paramedic to take charge and tell them what to do.

Johnny started gathering the bags of supplies from beneath Jane's feet. As he walked quickly toward the group near the snow bank, he asked, "How long?"

"Five, or maybe 6 minutes."

"Does he know how to make himself an air pocket?"

Mr Harrison's eyes filled with tears. "He's only four. I never thought..." Only 4 years old. Jane said a silent prayer that he would somehow, miraculously, be all right.

Johnny checked the bank for any tell tale signs that the plow had actually made contact with the child. He couldn't see anything obvious, but that didn't mean there wasn't a grisly discovery awaiting them in the snow bank. He looked at his wife. "Jane, I want to get these other people away from here so we can work better. Bring them up to the house, and get some hot water going, just in case." He was grateful that he easily found a legitimate reason to get her away from this.

He looked at Andrew, who was enough of a greenie to look visibly scared. 'Course, it didn't help that he actually knew the family. Still, this was what being a fireman was all about, and he wasn't going to let the kid off the hook like he had for his wife. "Andrew. You have your shovel." He nodded to the shovel in Andrew's hand. "Start cutting into the bank from the top very gently, every foot or so. Go about two feet deep, but go very slow. When you come out, take out a shovelful so we can see where you've been. You feel anything – anything at all – you yell."

He spoke to Mr Harrison. "You got any extra shovels up there?" he nodded towards the house. All the while he was sorting through the stuff at his feet, looking for things that might aid in the rescue. Ropes, flashlights, all went into a pile beside him. Mr Harrison nodded, and motioned for one of the other men to run up to the house and grab all the shovels.

Johnny looked at the driver of the first snow plow. "You call anyone yet?"

The poor man shook his head, and answered in a shaky voice, "It all happened so quick. I didn't even know, 'til I seen Mr H tearin' out the house..." He looked at Johnny with pleading eyes, begging for reassurance. "I didn't feel nothin' – I couldn't have..." Johnny didn't need to tell him he wouldn't have felt anything, even in the worst case scenario. He just looked at him compassionately and said, "Call it in. Now. Get an ambulance or whatever's available." The other man nodded, and climbed into his cab to use the radio.

Johnny set the other four men digging in rows, starting from the tops of the banks and working downwards. When they finished a row, he would have them move over right beside their previous try and start again. He went over each hole that was dug and felt with his arms and called out the boy's name. "Robbie! Robbie, if you can hear me, make a sound, any sound!"

Twenty minutes had gone by since they first started digging, and an ambulance had arrived at the house thanks to the newly plowed roads. There had been no sign of the child. Mr Harrison was becoming desperate and dug with increasing despair. "Please, please, please, please" he kept repeating over and over in an under-voice. Johnny didn't know what was worse, listening to the father's constant pleading, or the silence when he stopped.

Then - Andrew called to Johnny, "I think I felt something!" Everyone started to drop their shovels, but John encouraged them to continue. Andrew moved out of the way, and Johnny stuck his arm into the snow, feeling around. His third try he came into contact with something...that felt like a jacket. He immediately called over, "Need some help here! Dig just with your arms, no shovels!"

It was the plow driver who uncovered the child's white and blue face. Several of the men were unabashedly crying. There were no apparent injuries, and Johnny moved quickly to see if he could get a pulse. He wasn't sure at first, but then he felt it – a very faint flutter under his fingers. The boy was unconscious, but miraculously alive. Five men carried him over to the ambulance, and Mr Harrison ran up to the house calling hysterically for his wife to come.

Jane came down with Robbie's mother and saw Johnny tenderly checking the boy in the back of the ambulance, and for a moment she thought again of their son – a sharp pain stabbed her heart, so quick and intense that it took her breath away.

Within minutes the ambulance doors closed, the mother sitting in the front of the ambulance and Johnny in the back, setting up to warm the child. Jane stood in the lane with the other actors in the little drama, watching her husband leave yet again, another tragedy averted.

Robbie's dad was comforting the plow driver who had inadvertently buried his son. They arranged to drive back to the garage together and get Mr Harrison into a truck or jeep that would bring him to the hospital to rejoin his wife and child.

Jane's plow driver asked her what she wanted to do, go back with them to the township's garage, or continue to the cabin. She stood for a moment, uncertain, but then decided to go back with the men and see if there was any more help she could give while she waited for Johnny to return.

As they drove back the way they had come, she closed her eyes and sent out a prayer for those who had been injured: Marie, Robbie, the 'smoke man', the little boy with the icicle...for those she didn't know whom Johnny had helped...for the families and friends of the victims, for those who were tirelessly working to save lives and heal wounds, and for the volunteers cleaning up after the snowstorm. Good people doing incredible things with limited resources in trying situations to benefit others. This is what her man did every day he went to work. How honoured she felt to know him and his colleagues. How blessed she was that he was in her life.

A couple of hours later, back at the cabin, with the Land Rover finally dug out and the road cleared, Johnny and Jane stood at the door and discussed what to do now. The sun was setting. "Have you had enough vacation, Honey?" he asked her.

"Maybe," she replied.

"C'mon, let's get this stuff put away and eat that great foil dinner you made."

"Was that just yesterday? It feels like I did that last year!"

"As long as it doesn't taste like you did..." Jane scrunched up her nose again and stuck out her tongue at him. They entered the cabin, and saw the tent with the mattress, and the coffee can in the sink. They saw the stack of magazines, and the playing cards on the table, and then both sighed at the same time.

Johnny started rebuilding the fire, and Jane got some water ready to boil. While they were waiting for the fire to have enough coals for the foil dinners to cook, they climbed into their tent. Johnny reached over to pull Jane into his arms...and she was already asleep. He chuckled to himself, threw a blanket over them both, and snuggled up beside her, closing his eyes.

* * *

><p>A couple of days later, with the LA sun struggling through the yellow haze, Johnny arrived at the station for his shift. As he got out of the Rover, he patted his chest with both his hands and took a deep breath of the smoggy air. "Ahhh." he exclaimed, stretching out his arms.<p>

Roy was arriving at the same time, and looked bemusedly at his partner. "Any particular reason, Johnny?" he asked as he walked leisurely over to his friend.

"Just appreciating the city, Roy. You should try it."

Roy chuckled and shook his head. "Does this new appreciation have anything to do with your days off?"

"Could be. Y'know Roy, I would never've believed it, but a man can get too much of mountains and trees and fresh air..."

"I can't wait to hear this story," Roy commented as he followed John into the locker room.

End


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